Boat propulsion



July 9, 1935. R. E. TAIT I BOAT PROPULSION Original Filed May 16, 1932 A v I 1 .II

Ill lllll I Patented July 9, 1935 f l l V I {U I ED STATES F E BOAT'PROPULS ION l Robert E. Taitrldhicagn, Ill.

Application May 16, 1932, "Serial No. 612,895 Renewed September;8,'1934 Claims. (c1, 1155-1 3) The'present invention relates to boat propul- Ill is a main drive shaft l2 suitably journalled in sion and more particularlyto an improved form the bOats side walls and having a drum l3 keyed of propelling means therefor. to each end. Upward of the bow of the boat in It is an object of the present inventionto prothe sidewalls are opposed slots l4 extending 5 vide fora boat a propelling meanswhich; while longitudinally of the greater dimension of the ii carrying'the boat forward, buoys it to the surface boat and having slidably stationed therein hearof the water in order that such forWard-moveingblocks IS. The journalled members l5 mument will not be retarded by a horizontal com tually bear a shaft l6 which has a tension drum ponent of force impinged against the hull as is IT feathered to each extreme end. A compression inherent to all contemporary form ofpropulsion. spring l8 intermediate the blocks l5 and the rear l0- Another. object of the present invention is'to ends'of theslots l4 constantly urges said blocks provide for the propulsion of a boat a continu forwardlyin the slots. I v ously moving means having deflectors thereon All drumson each side of the boat are in aline-. aclaptedto impart simultaneously, downward and ment; The members l9 bearing the idler drums horizontal components of force to the water on I I may be provided in the form of stud shafts pro- 15 which the boat rides. jectinglfrom brackets attached to the sides of the 7 Still another object of the present invention is boat, or they maybe the ends of a long shaft to lay a continuous track having inclined paddles ,transgressing the entire hull. thereon on the, surface of water and to' move Drawn tautly over the drums at each side of the the track relative to the water at such a speed that 3111111 15 eentinuells'ibelt The Springs 20' the reacting vertical force of the water against the Sure tautness 0f the belts y their esu tant for inclined members will keep the track upon the Ward l'lrgeonlthe drums The belts y b of water surface, a boat'upon said track supplying any des ed W l p the be 0 locomotion thereto above such water surface may be of a width greater than'that of the boat It is also an object of thepres ent invention to itse f? a bell? 29 may be of a y Strong fl xible 5 provide for a boat a propelling means which material preferably unaifected by' beingimmersed changes the angle of its resultant impellant' force in water, such .as heavy duck or canvas with to the water. f waterproofingther'eon. Riveted, or otherwise With these objects and other desirable objects suitably securedat regular intervalsto the outer 30 in view, as will be disclosed in the following deperipheryof the belt 20 are angular plates 2|. 30

scription, the invention resides in the unique 6011- The P 5 2| y be of e t metal Of Other struction' and improved combination of its con"-' suitablematerial to provide a base section 22 00-* stituent parts as completely illustrated in the extensive the width of the belt, an inclined pore accompanying drawingxcomprising three figures tion ,23 bent at an angle to said flange, and a re-" and hereby made a part of this specification, and versed deformation to effect a fiange24; the lat- 35 in which: i v ter being substantially normal to the inclined Figure 1 is a perspective side View of a boat portion and terminating in. the plane described with the invention attached thereto, the drawing by said base. L a being somewhat schematic; Y Apertures in the base 22 receive any standard 40 Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view .of a belt fastening-means which pass through comple- 40% for carrying paddles;. and I mental apertures. in the belt 20 and in registry Figure 3 is a sectional view of the belt shown therewith to secure the angular plates 2| to the in Figure 2, and taken at the line 3-3 in that belt. "The. innerend of the rivets 25 may be figure. I terminatedand protected between laminated sec- Like reference characters indicate similar parts tionsr. of thelbelt 20 that no contact thereof will 45 in the following description whichis to be read be had with-the rolling faces of the several drums. in conjunction with the drawing. mThe paddles 2| may have a slightly reduced Attention is first directed to the drawing and section between thebase 22 and the surface23. particularly to the boat body designated by the Thetangentialforce imparted thereto when being numeral in. This hull may beof any. suitable rotatedzabout the pulley I3 will flex the paddle 505 shape,'length and beam. Anysuitable rudderor to force the flange 24 from the beltZEJ, andtheresteering mechanism may be' provided. Along by presentthe inclined section 23 in more direct either side of the hull are distributed aplurality. contact with. the water. of similar idler drums l I. of suitable material. The power received by the drum pulley is trans-. 56 Transversely positioned near the stern of the boat mittedby frictional contact-to the belt which in turn rotates the idler drums II and H. The belt is disposed to move forward in its upper flight and backward at its lower flight which is in contact with the water. An elevated position is provided for the tension idler l1 so that a downward impact will be given the water by the paddles upon first coming in contact therewith, thereby to receive an equal and opposite vertical buoyant force from the water to force the belt to the water surface. Likewise as the paddles are forced rearwardly a vertical component of force F is developed against the inclination 23 to raise the belt to the surface of the water.

It will be noted that the belt assemblyis mounted on the boat in a manner that the lower side of the belt depends below the bottom of 'thehull.

If the belt maintains a position on the top of the water as it will do after it has attained aproper speed then there will be a clearance therebetween the surface of the water and the boat hull, as illustrated in the drawing. The figure discloses the water line relative the boat when in motion, and when not in motion. These two water lines are indicated by the reference characters 21 and 28, respectively.

It might appear that for the elevated position of the hull to be maintained there would have to either be a constant acceleration of the speed of the belt or a dragging of the boat hull on the water to impede the forward movement ofthe entire craft relative the water in order that a slippage will continue to occur between the bottom portion of the belt and the water. The small amount of energy required to displace the water from the front of the belt trackage, however, will prevent the speed of the craft attaining that of the belt, hence sufficient slippage" will be pro-' vided at the bottom of. the belt to develop the reactionary vertical component of force Fv between the water and the inclined section of the paddles.

Due to the movement of .thepaddles in the water, there is a resultant force Fn set up at P, the center of area of the inclined section 23, and normal to said section. Fn may be resolved into vertical and horizontal components F22 and Fh respectively. F11 is proportional to the sine of angle 0, and Ft is proportional to sine 0 cosine 0, hence for a given constant "slippage of the belt 20, the component Fv will be greater when 0 equals forty-five degrees, and Fh wil be greater with any increase of the angle 0 up to ninety degrees. With a heavy boat tending to submerge the belt below the normal operating plane, the inclined plates 2| would be adjusted or replaced with others having an angle 0 approximating forty-five degrees. A lighter craft not requiring so great a vertical force may be suppliedwith inclined members with an angle to the belt of more than forty-five degrees to result in more of the energy being expended for traction. I

It is evident that as the boat gains speed there will be an increase of air resistance against the bow to result in more slippage than required to maintain the belt upon the waters surface. At this increased speed the tendency of increased slippage, with a corresponding dissipation of power,is overcome by the paddles passing over the periphery of the driving drum which have their angle 0 greatly increased to thereby supply traction to the belt.

Any suitable power plant may be disposed in the hull In to impart rotation to the driving shaft at selected speed.

Steering of the craft may be had by means of a rudder in the conventional manner, as previously indicated.

In Figures 2 and 3 is shown a form of belt 30 with a flexible ridge 3|. Ridge 3| is preferably of triangular cross section and is coextensive with the inner face of the endless belt 30. By forming grooves within the periphery of the drums ll, l3 and I! for the ridge 3| to run in, the belt 30 is positively retained upon the drums. Such an arrangement as the ridge 3| obviates the necessity of crowning the drums thus providing for the transverse elements of the belt remaining perfectly straight when passing over the drums.

The bases 22 of the detectors, when not distorted by passing over a drum with a crown, do not place any added stress upon the belt due to tugging at the belt fastenings 25.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a boat propelling means, a sheet of material forming a paddle member and comprising a flat base section, a section extending obliquely from an edge of said base section, and a flange depending from said oblique section and extending into alinement with said base section.

2. For propelling a boat, a continuous belt having a lower flight moving in a substantially horizontal plane while contacting a body of water and a plane-like flight inclined forwardly from said lower flight, a plurality of paddles, each pad-- dle having an inclined face, said paddles being attached to the outer periphery of said belt, and means for moving said belt relative to the boat,

movement of said paddles through the water imparting a reactionary force resolvable into horizontal and vertical components upon the inclined faces of said paddles.

3. In a boat propelling device, a paddle comprising a sheet of material having a fiat base sec tion, a section extending obliquely from said base, and a flange-like section substantially normal to said oblique section, the material of said inclined section contiguous to said base being resilient to admit of modification in the angular relation of said section and said base.

4. A boat propelling device comprising drums, said drums being arranged one ahead of another and being rotated upon individual horizontal parallel axes transverse of such boat, a continuous belt about said drums for movement there with, and paddles upon said belt, the foremost of said drums being at an elevation whereby a section of the lower flight of said belt at the front of said boat is declined backwardly therefrom to the next of said drums, the paddles on said belt being spaced one from another at such intervals as to provide for the planing of such declined section against the surface of the water at the front of the boat during movement of the boat.

5. In a boat, a propelling means comprising an endless belt disposed for revolving in a vertical plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of said boat, paddles on said belt, and a rotating means supported in said boat and for carrying said belt so that a lower section thereof makes contact with the water in substantially a horizontal plane while a section to the front of said lower section is inclined forwardly therefrom substantially within a plane, said paddles being spaced at such distancesto permit the inclined section of the belt to plane against the water.

ROBERT a. TAIT. 

